On the 29th Wednesday 2008, I went down to Medicorp (Waiz and I walked up a damn steep and long slope to finally get to the studio). Cos Mark Tay was on the game show ‘Don’t forget the lyrics’ hosted by Gurmit Singh. Most probably it’s going to be aired only after New Year cos the host said something like “Happy New Year” in the opening.

Anyway, I was very confident that Mark would make it to at least $250K but during the first song, it then hit me that it’s super difficult to get through even the FIRST SONG! But that’s me, know nuts about lyrics cos I don’t listen to much songs. Unlike Mark Tay, who listens to loads of music.

It was nerve wrecking for Mark-supporter, amidst the intermittent and irritating, “come on cheer! clap your hands! I need more energy from you audience!”, by the floor Ra-Ra-Team. Anyways, Mark was cool up there, interacting with Grumit as though they gave each other wedgies and inverted each others’ school bags back in the day.

By the second song, Mark already used his lifeline where out of the 4 words that you’d have to choose, they reveal 2 words of your choice. At first I thought, WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU CRAZY!! IT’S ONLY LIKE THE 2ND SONG!, cos I thought he hit the 4 words DEAD ON.. Only after he used the lifeline, i was like “damn heng sia…good thing you used the lifeline” as the difference between the word that he chose “I’LL” and the actual word “I” was too close for the typical Singaporean, which we usually interchange during coffeeshop talk. Yet for this game show, it had to be spot on, else it’s Go Home! You Suck! for you.

He got the $$$$$ and I’m very happy for him, cos music has always been his life. Yet I’m disappointed.. with Leon Subur…

He let Mark down.. He was the lifeline that wasn’t the lifeline…

And to think that he sang the song before to us. Somewhere deep in the jungle of the song, you’d think he would still be confident and sure of the lyrics. WRONG! He’s B-L-A-N-K, duh?, Err, What?, Maybe… Moron.

When interrogated after, he said

…I usually sing the first 2 lines of the song, and you guys shut me up after…

also said

…it was too deep into the song, I don’t remember till that deep…

So because of that, Mark had to be satisfied with the money and not what he could have got if Leon didn’t mess up. So guys, Leon owes Mark cash. Remind him of it till the grave.

14 Responses to “Mark Tay’s on ‘Don’t forget the lyrics Singapore’”

Hei!
That is SO COOL!!!
Go mark! I bet it was scary…but U survived!
Congrats!!!
Hope to catch this show when it’s aired on tv.
Keep me posted k..
I’ll get my sis to record it!
Anyways..hope ur gigs have more audience!
Thought of coming to spore in dec..i wanna go see ur gig! And hopoing to bring more fans this time.

Hi Ann,
sorry bout the late reply. have been super busy at work and all.
thanks for the well wishes though i’m not really supposed to talk about it. =P got contract la no choice have to keep quiet till it possibly gets aired.

and well no real audiences at this point; you were still our coolest one haha=) hope to see you in dec then. drop me or jason a line ya? or maybe we’ll just bump into you again in an obscure tunnel.
take care till then.
cheers!
mt

Left Woodlands to Mediacorp studio,which is at Caldecott Broadcasting Centre, Caldecott Hill in a specially booked bus at around 6pm, for recording of the last episode of Don’t Forget The Lyrics Singapore Version:VIP(Voices In Parliament) Special which was a special edition of the show where they let people in Parliament play the game for charity. The broadcast centre was like hidden behind a whole row of terrace houses. The game if you dummies out there have no idea what it’s all about is to sing songs and fill up the missing lyrics and earn cash. Got it? No? YOU’RE HOPELESS!!

When arrived,I practically just waltzed in.No security at all. *hint hint* Wow….I’m so important they didn’t need to check my identity. ^^ Well luckily they didn’t. Forgot to bring my IC so I probably would b left outside…..phew. Went to some room to wait before we could go into the studio. Had 5 TVs there!!One for each channel. Can literally watch all 5 Singapore channels at once.
Haha. Then had to go to go the studio for the recording of the show which was in another building where it was all studios.Took the seats on stage just behind the contestants, the MP for my residential area,Admiralty, Dr Mohd Maliki Osman and some other chinese MP from some other area whose name I forgot hehe. Which means I will be on TV! For a few sec at least ….=) lolz.

B4 we started there were some ‘warm up sessions’ where the audience especially those on the stage like me had to learn some acting and were also told not to record or take photos or we would b killed. When the lights in the room turned blue (when the contestant was locking in the answer) we had to give expressions of suspense…when it was green (when the contestant answered correctly) we had to act happy, cheer and clap and when it was red (when the contestant answered wrongly) then we had to act emo and sad. And the audience who were not on the stage (the ones u guys at home watching TV will not be able to see) were told to clap their hands over their head so that the camera can see people clapping so that the people at home can see it too….Yep u guessed it..all the happy “Yeah!!”,the sad “Aww” and the clapping u hear in TV shows are all faked.Even the production crew occasionally gave fake claps and shouts during the show to add more sound to the show.

Then the recording started….and our host came out and it was….Gurmit Singh!!He emphasised the importance to SHUT UP and don’t sing along with the contestants in case we accidentally sung the answer during the show which would get the MPs disqualified. Started the recording where the two MPs (yes, they’re competing together as a group) and their backup friend were introduced. The wacky categories were introduced. They were ERP(Eighties Rock something…), GST(General Sing-Along Tunes or someting lidat),GRC(Gold something Classics), Leo’s constituency, Ballot something,Voting With Your Feet,En-Bop,US Selections,Water Conspiracy and the rest I forgot. Apparently before each song was recorded the MPs had to practice with the band of the show who played all the music so they know whether they should play the song higher or lower based on the MPs singing ability so they wouldn’t sound like and idiot if the band played too high a note they can’t reach. Then each song was rehearsed about 3 times each to familiarise themselves with the tunes and stuff like that. They managed to get past 6 songs b4 they finally gave up and won S$25000 for charity but not without bending the rules a little …*ahems* in the name of charity…

In the 4th round, Dr Maliki specially requested to sing together with the other MP when he was actually supposed to attempt that round alone and they were like “What the heck, it’s for charity, OK!” and let them sing together. Then in the 6th round they didnt know the answer and neither did they’re backup (in fact throughout the whole show he didn’t know a single song 0.0…) and they used up all their ‘lifelines’ but apparently their wives knew….So once again everyone was like “Never mind.Its for charity!!” and let them come on stage to help out and they got it right. Then during some round I forgot, when Gurmit was putting his arm around the MP like brothers while locking in the answer, he accidentally pulled up the bak of the MPs tuxedo. Since we were at the back of them….we could see all this and we were laughing silently like shit. Whether Gurmit knew it or not, he couldn’t move anyway…they were recording lolz.

The recording ended at around 10pm…Very tiring..Had to clap practically non stop, and if we didn’t we had to smile,make noise, still had to keep constant mental note to myself to not do anything stupid in front of national TV! 6 questions…each song sing at least 3 times AT LEAST. So songs were sung at least 18 times oh my goodness..Go toilet also so troublesome.Want go toilet? Only can go during break if you’re the audience sitting on the stage. And they have only 1 toilet for each gender. So when you urgent and need to go toilet you have to hold on until one of the many breaks when they were not recording and you still have to queue up and hold your bladder outside the toilet too..How torturous….Lucky I didn’t need to use. xd.

So catch me on TV!!Watch Don’t Forget The Lyrics Singapore Version:VIP Special. Its the last episode of the VIP special! Sitting on the left hand side of the stage 2nd row of the supporters! Will air in a few weeks/months time!! What time it will air is also not confirmed yet so watch all the episodes!!!To see me!!!Me!!MEEEE!!!!LOLz

Nah…I know that…it’s just that.. try to remind your friend to be more discreet about posting results relating to gameshows etc…

You are one of the better singers on the show so far. I like your rendition of “Don’t wanna miss a thing” by Aerosmith. My friends and I attended the recording for the orange lady (the week before your episode aired) and it wasn’t a really pleasant experience.

Will do. Though i doubt i’ll be participating in any gameshows in the future. Super tiring i gotta say.

Many thanks for your kind words next time you see jason and/or i along the street please do say hello, would be great meeting you - think you’re currently one of our most consistent comment-ers. Thanks again!!